Sexual abuse by a Church Minister, Priest, Counselor, Teacher or other
church Leader...on this page we will explore questions, issues and Biblical
principles of Godly caring for the abuser and the abused.

Here's a to common scenario...a Minister/ Leader sexually abuses person(s)
in his care--should he report himself to the civil authorities in light
of Romans 13? Yes or No? Do you know the law and practice in your area?
Do you know your church's policy and practice in this matter? Do you know
the District's / Region's policies and practices in these principles? Do
you know the denomination's / association's policies and practices in this
matter?

If the Clergy / Church Leader (ANY SEXUAL ABUSER) IS NOT WILLING
TO TURN SELF IN TO CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND MAKE A FULL AND HONEST STATEMENT
OF THEIR ACTS then PeaceMakers can not spiritually help him/her since they
have no heart toward righteousness-only protecting themselves-I don't care
what they say, what they look like, how they "change", how successful their
ministry was/is/will be, etc.-it's all a lie and more deceit! PeaceMakers
is willing to care for a Biblical & Godly sorrowing sexual abuser.
By God's grace a sexual offender can change-but their sin has disqualified
them from most ministry and certainly from unrestricted, and unsupervised
ministry.

Not being an Attorney my use of the law needs verification: Having
said that-it seems to me the Civil Authorities have divided the law into
at least two categories: Criminal and Civil. I'm often amused when
Church leaders rebuke Christians for not exercising their civic responsibilities
by not voting or writing to their civic leaders-yet when it comes time
to report a criminal sexual assault or other criminal acts they mostly
remain silent. 1 Corinthians 6 is often mis-used: it's not about
never going to court or never going to the authorities! see http://www.christiancourt.org/1co61-11.htm

I've often heard that reporting the sexual abuse to the civil authorities
will further harm the victim(s)-I think not so, it seems
to me the abuser can give himself up without having to name his victims.
Do you know the law and practice in your area? Do you know your church's
policy and practice in this matter? Do you know the District's / Region's
policies and practices in these principles? Do you know the denomination's
/ association's policies and practices in this matter?

Protecting the criminally sexually assaulted's identity (especially
a minor) is a key foundation principle when at all possibly legal.
Records are sealed and only can be open by a court order within certain
guidelines protection of the sexual abused is very important. When
the criminal sexual abuser fails Godly sorrow they demand the sexually
abused openly accuse them and peruse them hoping the public attention and
the brutal cross examination will deter the abused from pressing for righteousness.
I have seen those in leadership investigate a victim's story and life in
such a manner that resembled more interrogation than love, care, gentleness
and support. Do you know the law and practice in your area? Do you
know your church's policy and practice in this matter? Do you know the
District's / Region's policies and practices in these principles? Do you
know the denomination's / association's policies and practices in this
matter?

Can the filing of his crime report, and his allocution (admitting the
crime before a judge) and sentencing be done in a manner to protect the
abused? I think yes-Do you know the law and practice in your area? Do you
know your church's policy and practice in this matter? Do you know the
District's / Region's policies and practices in these principles? Do you
know the denomination's / association's policies and practices in this
matter?

What do you think of the criminal's "sorrow and confession" if he waits
to be caught and makes his victims prove his abuse--like Clinton and the
blue dress? What do you think if the criminal willingly, openly, confesses
on his own? If the sexual abuser does confess on his own should he still
tell the civil authorities? Should everybody keep quiet? Do you know
the law and practice in your area? Do you know your church's policy and
practice in this matter? Do you know the District's / Region's policies
and practices in these principles? Do you know the denomination's / association's
policies and practices in this matter?

How does the time from the commission of his sexual crime to the time
of his being confronted impact his "confession"? 1 year or less-later?
5 years-later? 10 years-later? 15 years-later? 20 years-later? 30 years
or more? Do you know the law and practice in your area? Do
you know your church's policy and practice in this matter? Do you
know the District's / regional's policies and practices in these principles?
Do you know the denomination's / association's policies and practices in
this matter?

There seems to several definitions of statues of limitations across
the country in sexual abuse crimes-how would the criminal's hiding and
silence impact his "confession" if the statues of limitations had not expired?
If the statues of limitations had expired? Does the statues of limitations
have any bearing? Do you know the law and practice in your
area? Do you know your church's policy and practice in this matter?
Do you know the District's / regional's policies and practices in these
principles? Do you know the denomination's/association's policies and practices
in this matter?

KEY BIBLICAL
TERMS AND definitions:

BELIEVE / FAITH... living as though all that Jesus Christ taught is
true. Making choices based upon the True God being God of all things.

BEING PERFECTED... life in PROCESS of faith being completed through
the continual releasing of God's Holy Spirit in thoughts, values, and behavior.
Living self's will is thinking you know better than God.

ORIGINAL SIN... Lucifer's rebellion against God (I know best) passed
to Adam and Eve through disobedience (we know best) to all born into the
world (I know best). Now, we each have the fallen nature of what we think
we know is truth, and not being in right relationship with God to know
HE KNOWS BEST.

GODLY SORROW... means the deep mourning that comes from recognizing
the gravity of ones sin, the consequences of that sin, and anger at the
sin, that does not regret giving up the sin. It's being fully resolved
to make it right to God and to those who have been harmed by ones sin.
And the commitment to God to surrender, as is humanly possible, to His
Holy Spirit and not sin this way again.

HEAR / LISTEN... means to hear, give audience, be noised, reported,
understand, Plus in the negative means to fail to hear, disobey, take no
heed, neglect to hear. Therefore hearing that leads to repentance.

CONFESSION... Agreeing with God about the nature of our sin, our attitudes
and actions. Telling them to God in the witness of other Christians. Sharing
our Hope in Jesus Christ with others.

REPENT... means to think differently, or afterwards, do differently,
reconsider, feel compunction, repent, to change ones mind involving both
turning from sin and turning to God.

FORGIVENESS... Asking: State specifically the wrong, identify the Biblical
principles violated, share Godly sorrow, ask forgiveness, and repent. Giving:
Recognize your sins are greater than any sin against you, and that you
have been forgiven by God and thereby forgive those who ask Biblically
and pledge not hold their wrongs to their account.

RECONCILED... means to effect an alteration, in cases of mutual hostility
yielding to mutual concession, to change (someone's mind) to reconcile.
Therefore make it right between brothers.

REJOICE... means to rejoice in the Lord (Jesus Christ, Jehovah) at all
times, in all situations, because He will overcome evil with good for those
who love Him.

PeaceMakers.net

confession;

Matthew Henry: Matthew 3:

VII. The rite, or ceremony, by
which he admitted disciples, v. 6. Thosewho received his doctrine, and
submitted to his discipline, were baptizedof him in Jordan, thereby professing
their repentance, and their belief thatthe kingdom of the Messiah was
at hand.

1. They testified their repentance
by confessing their sins; a generalconfession, it is probable,
they made to John that they were sinners, thatthey were polluted by sin, and
needed cleansing; but to God they made aconfession of particular sins,
for he is the party offended. The Jews hadbeen taught to justify themselves;
but John teaches them to accusethemselves, and not to rest,
as they used to do, in the general confession ofsin made for all Israel, once
a year, upon the day of atonement; but tomake a particular acknowledgment,
every one, of the plague of his ownheart. Note, A penitent confession
of sin is required in order to peace andpardon; and those only are ready
to receive Jesus Christ as theirRighteousness, who are brought
with sorrow and shame to their own guilt,

Adam Clarke Matthew 7

Confessing their sins.— exomologoumenoi,
earnestly acknowledging thattheir sins were their own. And
thus taking the whole blame uponthemselves, and laying nothing
to the charge of GOD or man. This isessential to true repentance;
and, till a man take the whole blame onhimself, he cannot feel the
absolute need he has of casting his soul on themercy of God, that he may be
saved.

Godbey on True repentance:

Matthew 3:8-10, andLuke 3:8-10.
O the withering denunciations which leaped from the eloquent lips of John,
like lightning from the skirts of the clouds! “Ye generations of vipers,
who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore
fruit worthy of repentance; and do not think to say among yourselves, We
have father Abraham: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones
to raise up children unto Abraham.

Already, indeed, the ax is lying
at the root of the trees; therefore every tree, not producing good fruit,
is hewn down and cast into the fire.” The rank and the of fallen Judaism
at that day, like the Moslem millions now, as well as the unbelieving Jews,
were depending upon their Abrahamic lineage to save them, pursuant to the
infallible promises of Cod to that patriarch and his seed, constituting
the Abrahamic Covenant. This is all a fond delusion of the devil, a greased
plank, over which he has slidden countless millions into hell. Under the
Mohammedan priesthood the barbaric children of Abraham, through Ishmael
and Esau, this day expect heaven pursuant to the Abrahamic Covenant. Really
there is no Abrahamic Covenant, but it is simply the Covenant of Redemption,
which God made with His Son, before Abel died, to save all the faithful
in Christ. Thisidentical covenant God reiterated
and established with Abraham.

(Galatians 3:16.) Hence the Abrahamic
paternity is not carnal, but spiritual, including all the saved in Christ.
(Galatians 3:7.) The viper of the Old World is the congener of the rattlesnake
in this country. The serpent is the progeny of Satan, having been subsidized
by him in the abduction of humanity, and anathematized by the Almighty
(Genesis 3:14) in his transformation into the groveling, obnoxious, poisonous
progeny of the archenemy. Stones here symbolize the flinty hearts of Satan-ridden
reprobates, which the Holy Ghost is abundantly competent to transform into
the sanctified children of heaven, thus making them the spiritual children
of Abraham. The ax symbolizes Divine retribution; the tree, every human
being. The whole human race are under a dispensation of grace, whether
they have ever heard the gospel trumpet sound a solitary note. A momentous
crisis came to the Jews with the ministry of John and his introduction
of Jesus. Hitherto they could be saved by the Excarnate Christ, under the
ministry of the law and the prophets. Now that He has come in human flesh,
they must receive Him, or grieve away the Holy Spirit and take the fatal
plunge into reprobacy and damnation. O what a flood-tide, led by those
proud Church-rulers, to whom John was preaching this awfully plain truth,
did reject Christ and take the horrific plunge into irretrievable woe!

GENUINE FRUITS OF REPENTANCE

Luke 3:10-14. “The multitudes
continued to ask him, saying, What then shall we do? Responding, he says
to them: Let the one having two coats give to him having none; and let
the one having food do likewise.” John was no shoddy preacher, daubing
with untempered mortar. He preached a gospel which will stand the judgment
fires. “Repentance unto remission of sins” was his constant theme. A Methodist
circuit rider, on his first round, preached on repentance; on his second
round, gave them repentance again; and so on till the year is half gone.
The people, tired and bored, asked him: “Brother, can you not give us a
new subject? We are tired of the old one.” “O yes; but I am just waiting
on you to repent, and can’t change my subject till you do.” He was right.
All religion is shoddy and spurious without a true evangelical repentance,
which is the only foundation.

(Hebrews 6:1.) Now true repentance
always makes people philanthropic — doing unto others as we would have
them do unto us. When man repents, God always forgives, witnesses to it
by His Spirit, and fills the heart with that love which will always do
good to others. John’s doctrine is safe: “Repentance unto remission of
sins,” R.V.; i.e., you are to repent until you are forgiven, the Holy Spirit
bearing witness. “And the publicans came to be baptized, and said unto
him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than
that which has been appointed unto you.” The publicans — i.e., the Roman
officers collecting the revenue — had general notoriety for fraudulent
exactions of more than their due, and rascality in their dealings with
the people. John knew that a true repentance would settle all this crooked
business, and settle it forever, which is true. O how we all ought to thank
God for honest sheriffs, as I believe they generally are in this country!
In the Old World, especially Asia and Africa, public fraud prevails to
an appalling extent; e.g., in the corrupt Turkish Government, in the Holy
Land this day, I am reliably informed that the sheriffry is sold to the
highest bidder, the incumbent, instead of receiving remuneration from the
Government, actually paying the Government for the privilege of serving
in the office, and of course depending on theft and robbery for his entire
remuneration. This is a simple item in the awful desolation which afflicts
that land. Come, Lord, come quickly! Deliver Thy patrimony and a dying
world from Satan’s power! “And the soldiers continue to ask him, saying,
And what shall we do? And he said to them, Oppress no one, defraud no one,
and be content with your wages.” Military despotisms have been the scourge
of the world in all ages, but the true grace of God, superinducing repentance
unto remission, transforms the panoplied soldier into a messenger of mercy.
Captain Webb, of the British army, was the first Methodist preacher in
America. William Penn, an officer in the British army, became one of the
sweetest preachers, whose lovely character ever adorned the Friends’ Church.